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Grilled Steak with Olive Spread

1 May

The real winner in this recipe is the olive spread, so easy and so yummy! This recipe makes about a cup of the spread so you will have some leftovers to use on sandwiches or even eat with crackers. If you arent a big red meat lover, you can make grilled chicken instead…would be just as good! Oh and the best part of this recipe is that I found it on a diet website (thanks Kalyn!), so it’s healthy! I served it with roasted brussels sprouts, the perfect meal :)

Ingredients

  • 4 steaks (use a cut like Rib Eye or New York)
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsps Dijon mustard
  • 2 1/2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
  • 1 can pitted black olives (slightly over 1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup pitted green olives (without pimento)
  • 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
  • 3 tbsps olive oil

1. Rub steaks with olive oil and season on both sides with salt and pepper, then let come to room temperature.

2. While steak is coming to room temperature, put garlic, salt, dijon mustard, lemon juice, black olives, green olives, Kalamata olives and half of the olive oil in a food processor or mini-chopper. Pulse until olives are coarsely chopped, then blend at full speed for a few seconds to combine all ingredients. Remove from processor and stir in the rest of the olive oil.

3. Heat cast iron grill pan for about 5 minutes before putting steak in. Grill steaks for about 4-6 minutes per side, depending on how thick your steaks are and how you like it cooked.

4. Remove steaks from pan and let rest about 5 minutes, then serve with olive spread spooned over the top.

Sea Bass with Ratatouille

22 Feb
I love this dish, the ratatouille keeps the fish moist and also makes it really hearty. I served it with some baked asparagus…perfect healthy dinner!

Ingredients

  • 6 6-to-7 oz sea bass fillets
  • 5 tbsps olive oil
  • 2 tbsps chopped garlic
  • 1 eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 1 zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 14 1/2-oz can (1 3/4 cups) crushed tomatoes with added puree
  • 3 tbsps red wine vinegar

1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic; stir 30 seconds. Add eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onion and oregano. Cover and cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

2. Mix in tomatoes and vinegar. Reduce heat to medium. Cover; cook until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a glass baking dish. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper; arrange in prepared dish.

4. Spoon ratatouille over fish. Bake uncovered until fish is just opaque in center, about 20 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash with Bacon & Chicken

23 Dec

When I am in ‘healthy mode’ spaghetti squash is always on my grocery list…so good and almost passes for pasta. The hint of bacon in this recipe with all of the yummy veggies makes it a great dish!

Ingredients 

  • 1 (3.5-pound) spaghetti squash
  • 2 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms
  • bunch of asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 1/4 cup cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

1. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash halves in pot of boiling water. Boil until tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside until cool and then scrape out the squash into a bowl.

2. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan.

3. Increase heat to medium-high; sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to drippings in pan and cook 4 minutes; remove from pan.

4. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan and cook 3 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, reserved bacon, garlic and Italian seasoning to pan; cook 1 minute.

5. Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms and asparagus and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. Add wine to pan and cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.

6. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Add reserved chicken and chicken broth to pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly; stir in 1/4 cup cheese.

7. Place about 1 cup squash on each of 6 plates; top each serving with about 1 cup chicken mixture and 2 teaspoons remaining cheese.

Greek Chicken with Artichokes, Mushrooms & Lemon

6 Nov

Overall I thought this dish turned out pretty good, not great but good. Its perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. I found the idea for this on epicurious but changed it up by adding artichoke hearts and also cutting the chicken into bite sized pieces to make the cooking process faster.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 4 boneless & skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite sized pieces)
  • 1 can artichoke hearts (chopped)
  • 1 lb sliced crimini mushrooms
  • 4 large garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • Chopped fresh parsley
1. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, dust lightly with flour. Add chicken to skillet and saute until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, saute the mushrooms, chopped artichoke hearts, garlic and oregano for 10 minutes.
3. Add broth, lemon juice and wine and boil until sauce is slightly reduced. about 5 minutes.
4. Add chicken to sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is almost cooked through, about 10 minutes.
5. Season with salt & pepper and top with parsley.
6. Serve on top of a brown rice medley with brussels sprouts.

Sweet Chili Salmon

25 Oct

This quick and easy dish is great for when you dont have time for an all-day marinade. It only takes about 35 minutes to make and is pretty satisfying…especially the crisp snap peas layered on top. I served it with my favorite brown rice medley from Trader Joes…enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Asian sweet chili sauce (TJs has it!)
  • 3 tbsps soy sauce, divided
  • 2 tbsps finely grated peeled fresh ginger, divided
  • 6 6-ounce salmon fillets with skin
  • 2 tbsps vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed
  • 1 1/2 tbsps Chinese rice wine or dry Sherry
  • 3 cups pea tendrils** or pea sprouts** (about 6 ounces)
  • 1 tsp Asian sesame oil

1. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Coat with nonstick spray. Whisk chili sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon ginger in small bowl.

2. Place salmon fillets, skin side down, on prepared sheet. Spoon chili sauce marinade over and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

3. Preheat broiler. Spoon any marinade remaining on baking sheet over salmon fillets. Broil salmon without turning until browned in spots and almost opaque in center, 6 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet.

4. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in wok or heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon ginger and minced garlic; stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add sugar snap peas and stir until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, rice wine, and pea tendrils and stir just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drizzle with sesame oil.

5. Place 1 salmon fillet on each plate. Spoon warm pea mixture over salmon fillets and serve.

Spicy Lentil Soup

22 Oct

Ok I am going to just throw it out there…this isn’t the prettiest dish, the pictures don’t do it justice. BUT let me tell you, you have to make it, it is one of the best soups I’ve ever had. The hearty lentils with the spicy italian sausage and sweet root vegetables are the perfect combination.

Ingredients 

  • 2 tbsps olive oil
  • 1 lb fully cooked hot Italian sausage (casings removed)
  • 1 large onion, chopped (about 3 cups)
  • 2 large carrots, peeled, chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
  • 2 large parsnips, peeled, chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
  • 2 large celery stalks, chopped about 1 cup
  • 21/2 tsps dried Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 lb brown lentils (about 2 1/3 cups)
  • 3 quarts (or more) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 5oz package baby spinach leaves
  • Optional: I added in about 1 cup of peeled, chopped Yukon Gold potatoes. Not sure it made a huge difference so if you’re watching your carbs, leave it out.

1) Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage (casings removed) and break apart with spoon into smaller pieces. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

2) Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to bowl.

3) Add onion, carrots, parsnips, celery, potatoes (optional) and Italian seasoning blend to drippings in pot; cook until onion is translucent and vegetables begin to soften, stirring often, 7 to 8 minutes.

4) Add lentils; stir to coat. Add 3 quarts broth. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if soup is too thick, 20 minutes.

5) Add sausage to soup and simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors blend, 10 to 12 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6) Stir in spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.

 

Baked ‘Fried’ Chicken

11 Sep

YUM! This chicken turned out amazing, the buttermilk marinade made it juicy and the parm and corn flake crust created the perfect crisp! I wouldnt change one thing, it was finger lickin’ good! I served this with corn on the cob and a simple arugula salad…can you tell I was trying to be a little healthy??

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce (Use Crystal or Franks)
  • 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (3 pound) chicken cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry (I removed the skin)
  • 2 cups crushed corn flakes
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsps chopped fresh thyme

1. Mix together buttermilk, lemon juice, hot sauce, onion, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl or dish. Add chicken and coat with mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or up 12 hours.

2. Mix corn flakes, Parmesan cheese, and thyme together. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Remove chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and dredge through the corn flake-Parmesan mixture, pressing to help it adhere.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fit a sheet tray with a wire rack and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

5. Place chicken on the wire rack-fitted sheet tray and bake for 45 minutes until golden and crisp. It might take longer depending the size of your chicken. Check with a meat thermometer to be safe.

Zucchini With Toasted Almonds & Parm

25 Aug

I first had this dish at a local Italian restaurant (Jackson Fillmore) in my neighborhood…I was blown away at how delicious it was because of its simplicity! I come to find out that my sister had recently made a dish like this of her own, so I figured I had to try it out. It turned out incredible, the salt of the parm is perfect with the fresh zucchini and the crunch of the toasty almonds. A perfect side dish any time of the year!

Thanks Kate! (p.s. how cute is ava?!)

Ingredients

  • Zucchini
  • Handful of Sliced Almonds
  • Olive Oil
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt & Pepper
1. Slice the zucchini into thin matchsticks. (If you dont own one already, invest in a mandolin!)
2. Coat a sauce pan with olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add a handful of sliced almonds and toast. Ready after about 1-2 mins or golden brown.
4. Remove the almonds from the heat and toss in the zucchini, quickly stir to combine. This is the most important step, work quickly as you just want to slightly heat the zucchini through, you dont want to cook it.
5. Add Salt & Pepper to taste and top with shaved parmesan.

Sushi Making Date!

13 Aug

Our lovely friends, Kramer and Erin, invited us over for a couples sushi making date! Fresh fish, sake bombs, good company…what could be better?

I have to be honest, sushi is rarely (by rarely, I mean never) the first thing I think about when I am hungry. It never really fills me up and it seems too healthy. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of our dinner — maybe thats because I think we made (and ate) about 20 rolls :)

The first roll was slightly stressful, definitely dont forget to wet your hands…key when adding the rice and rolling! We tried a bunch of different variations and Jay even got fancy, tried to show us up with his Nigiri.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of fresh fish (we used tuna, salmon & shrimp). I’d suggest either buying it from your local sushi restaurant or Japanese market — guaranteed to be fresh.
  • Avocado
  • Cucumber (cut into matchsticks)
  • Siracha (we put some of this on every roll, mmm spicy)
  • Green Onions
  • Sushi Rice (courtesy of Erin :) ): 3 cups sushi (or short grain) rice, 3 cups water, approx 1/3 cup of rice vinegar, 3 tbs sugar. Cook all the ingredients in a rice cooker.
Seaweed, Rice, Goodies, Roll, Repeat…easy as that!
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